Britney Spears Gushes Over 'Incredible Performer' Tate McRae as She Interviews Aspiring Pop Star in Shocking Return to Showbiz

Is Britney Spears slowly getting back into the business?

The Princess of Pop recently made a brief, but shocking, return to the industry last week, when her interview with pop icon-in-the-making Tate McRae for GEN V5 by V Magazine was published on Wednesday, May 29.

During the chat between Spears and McRae, the "Toxic" singer was the one to ask all of the questions, while the "Greedy" hitmaker expressed gratitude toward one of her role models in the industry each time she answered.

"You're an incredible performer. I’ve seen some of your performances and each one continues to top the next," the 42-year-old — whose songs and dances largely influenced the world of pop today — gushed over McRae, 20, before asking: "Where do you find inspiration?"

"Wow! Thank you so much. That means so much coming from you," McRae admitted to Spears. "I find that a lot of the inspiration comes from the musical arrangement. One of my favorite parts of the process is playing around and finding new variations of each song — I feel like that always inspires new choreography and a different feeling."

"However, looking back at iconic performances (like yours) is also very motivating," the "Exes" hitmaker praised of Spears.

The duo continued to fawn over one another, as Spears informed McRae, "your song, 'you broke me first,' is one of my favorite songs," adding: "What is the story behind the song and what inspired you to write and record it?"

"That means the world to me. I actually wrote 'you broke me first' when I was 16 and had never experienced real heartbreak before — only on a small scale. It stemmed from a couple of different places, like taking inspiration from friendships or situation-ships, and they all left me with the same feeling — dealing with someone wanting your relationship back, after giving them your all and them not recognizing it. It’s a sad but empowering feeling afterward," McRae explained.

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At one point, Spears asked a question she learned the hard way: "What is the hardest part about being an artist of your stature at this point?"

"I would say the pressure I put on myself," McRae told the "Circus" singer — who spent 13 years in an abusive conservatorship while being manipulated under her father's control during the peak of her fame. "I have been a perfectionist my entire life, so sometimes the hyper-critical thoughts can fully consume you. I try to trust my gut as much as possible and not take in that many outside opinions."